The Blueprint For Rock: Louis Jordan

By

Daniel Glass

September 09, 2011 10:46 am

The Blueprint For Rock: Louis Jordan

By Daniel Glass

Originally Published In DRUM! Magazine's July 2011 Issue

Although his name is not widely remembered today, alto saxophonist and
bandleader Louis Jordan was the most popular African-American artist of
the 1940s. This guy was big – think Jay-Z or Kobe Bryant big and you’ll
get the picture. Jordan placed an astounding 57 hits on the Billboard
Jukebox charts during the ’40s, and was a major influence on future
superstars like James Brown, Bill Haley, BB King, and Chuck Berry. Why?
Because more than any other artist he was responsible for designing the
model on which today’s rock and pop groups are based.

Louis Jordan got his start as a sideman in the legendary big band of
drummer Chick Webb. With the decline of swing in the mid-’40s, he struck
out on his own, determined to create a small combo that could still
deliver the power and showmanship people had come to expect from the big
bands.

Part of Jordan’s formula relied on a relatively new invention called the
electric guitar (and later, electric bass when it was created in 1949).
He also combined other concepts like boogie-woogie blues riffs and
catchy chorus-like hooks to bolster his preacher-like rap style of vocal
delivery.

While this was all groundbreaking stuff, the heart of Jordan’s sound
came from the intense shuffle feels that he commanded from his drummers.
Light yet powerful and pulsating, these jumping beats drove dancers
nuts, and gave rise to a popular sound that by the end of the ’40s would
be dubbed rhythm and blues. Jordan’s R&B-style combos set a new
standard, one that would be used by every new generation of pop musician
from rockers to hip-hoppers.

To learn more about the drummers and grooves of Louis Jordan, be sure to
check out my latest book, The Commandments Of Early Rhythm And Blues
Drumming.

Daniel Glass is the drummer for Royal Crown Revue and the coauthor (with
Zoro) of the award-winning Commandments of Early Rhythm And Blues
Drumming. To hear audio versions of “Moment In History,” please visit
DanielGlass.com.